


His Absolute Kindness

by Starlithorizon



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Arthur is the best, Family, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-27
Updated: 2012-12-27
Packaged: 2017-11-22 15:13:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/611213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starlithorizon/pseuds/Starlithorizon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>These are the ways in which Arthur affects the crew.</p>
            </blockquote>





	His Absolute Kindness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Belelaith](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Belelaith/gifts).



> Belelaith's prompt for me is as follows: "What are the different ways Arthur influences the crew without them noticing?"  
> Well, obviously I had to do this. I kind of loved it, too, looking at how subtly and gently Arthur might help everyone.

Douglas didn't know it, but Arthur's absolute and pure adoration, adulation, and all-encompassing belief in the glory of First Officer Richardson shaped him in such hidden ways. Even on the blackest of days, the ones that laughed threateningly from the bottoms of bottles still sealed, Arthur could make him smile. Perhaps a little. Just a little tilt of the lips.

The big secret that not even Douglas was aware of was that he was a creature made of self-loathing. Terrible words haunted him, sneered on the edge of his mind.

_Liar. Thief. Criminal. Second-best. Failure._

The awful words swirled around his head like a mantra, constantly humming. It darkened his heart, made his eyes into two dark pools of misery, made his shoulders sag.

These days were most common on his days off. The strange thing that he always failed to notice was that they also coincided with Arthur's own rare days off. How a clever fellow like him was unable to see the correlation is beyond, well, everyone.

See, one of Arthur's many interesting traits was an absolute and pure well of trust. It wasn't given away too easily, and that he believed in Douglas completely was golden and good. He lived with a constant surety that, should trouble arise, Douglas would beat it back like a knight would a dragon.

Whether this trust sprang from the deeds, or the deeds were spurred by the trust was irrelevant. They filled Douglas with a confidence that spoke up above the horrible thoughts and made him feel needed and good again.

* * *

As his mother, Carolyn knew all there was to know about Arthur. She could see through every layer, could read him like a picture book. That was more than just his innate openness; it was that, of course, coupled with a mother's intuitive knowledge of her child.

The one thing she didn't see, and continually missed, was that he was making her softer. Not mushy, not a pushover, but more flesh than steel. It was because of his absolute kindness, so uniquely him, that she gave the pilots days off at all. Because of him, she had felt enough generosity to allow a criminal to join her fledgling company. Because of him, she had felt enough hope in the scrawny ginger to give him the job.

While he softened her, Arthur had also given her an iron spine. This wasn't through any particular action of his, so much as who he was. He was a fragile boy far to susceptible to her ex-husband's black brandings. Because of Arthur, she had stood up to Gordon's toxic words and said no. Because of Arthur, she left. But there was more to it, shortly after. It was the shining look in his eyes whenever he saw an aeroplane, whether or not its name was G-ERTI. That glittering joy had been the catalyst that formed MJN Air.

Carolyn was Arthur's mother and friend, and she had influenced him all his life. She had no idea, of course, that Arthur was just as strong an influence on her.

* * *

Martin was a bumbling sort of man, full to the brim with self-doubt. There was something infinitely sad and dark behind that, though, the same sort of self-loathing that Douglas was plagued by. Martin's was sharper, though, more vicious. It lurked in the shadows of his slightly-too-prominent ribs, in every failed CPL exam, in each and every passenger that didn't see his authority. Everyone could see the doubt and clumsy nature, but only one person could see the shadows.

Martin's portion was always bigger whenever Arthur cooked for the pilots. He put forth valiant effort in helping Martin win bets. He gave Martin some of his tip whenever he possibly could.

All of these little things certainly assuaged the terrible things in Martin's heart, but nothing compared to Arthur's shining trust and hope in him. In Arthur's _faith_ in him. It was such a strange thing to have someone believe in him, believe in his capabilities, but it was so sweet. It was a balm to every self-inflicted wound.

The biggest thing, however, was the smallest.

Friendship.

Arthur was one of Martin's closest friends, but more than that. He was one of Martin's first true friends.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't hesitate to give me prompts, guys! They're fun for me, and make me stretch my muscles a bit.


End file.
